BEIJING - Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie and the visiting US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates held talks Monday morning in Beijing.

The visit of Gates, who arrived in the Chinese capital Sunday evening, is expected to provide an opportunity for the two countries to improve military ties, which suffered some frictions over the past year.

This is Gates' second China tour since he took office in December 2006. His visit was postponed after the Pentagon's decision to sell a nearly $6.4-billion arms package to Taiwan in January 2010.

Gates also said military ties between China and the United States should not be subject to politics after talks with Liang.

Before the talks at the headquarters of China's Central Military Commission, a welcoming ceremony was held for Gates.

Gates' trip to China comes a week ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States for a Jan 19 summit with President Barack Obama, when the two leaders are likely to discuss the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and other regional tensions.